El sabor méxicano!Cooking with Ruth Alegria in Mexico City

Fruit-flavored aguas frescas, literally fresh waters,

are part of every meal in warm and sunny Mexico
By: Pat Tanner
    Ruth Alegría is a name and face familiar to Princeton area residents, mostly as the proprietor-chef of Mexican Village II, the Leigh Avenue restaurant she established in 1980 and which continues to thrive, although she sold it seven years ago. She also founded both the Princeton Cooking School and the Garden Café at
the Princeton YWCA. Both have been featured in this space in the past, and
through them Ruth and I became good friends.
    Just over three years ago, Ruth, whose family came from
Nicaragua, moved to Mexico City. (She continues to make extended trips to Princeton
to visit her children and grandchildren). In her adopted city, she founded
Mexico Soul and Essence (www.mexicosoulandessence.com), through which she conducts
cultural and culinary tours of Mexico City and environs. I recently visited
her there, for a whirlwind tour in which she introduced me to the best of Mexican
cuisine, both traditional and cutting edge.
    Updated Mexican fare is the hallmark of Chef Enrique Olvera of Restaurante Pujol, where he features sophisticated and innovative dishes such as duck carpaccio with pumpkinseed vinaigrette and mescal foam. This April, he and Ruth will present a joint workshop, "Mexican Cooking: Back to the Future," in
Chicago at the annual conference of the International Association of Culinary
Professionals. Mr. Olvera’s take on cebiche follows. This master chef fries
his own tortilla chips for it, and the results are so superior and the process
is so easy that I now can’t go back to the bagged kind. To make them, use fresh
corn tortillas, cut and fry as for the bunelos recipe below, and sprinkle with
salt.
    Fruit-flavored aguas frescas, literally fresh waters,
are part of every meal in warm and sunny Mexico. By far the most popular flavor
is "Jamaica," the Mexican term for hibiscus. The recipe below makes a beautiful
red, refreshing thirst quencher. It comes from another friend and colleague
of Ruth’s, Magda Bogin, the director of Cocinar Mexicano, one of Mexico’s premiere
cooking schools. It is located in Tepotzlan, a beautiful mountain town about
an hour outside of Mexico City. Ruth and I spent a glorious day there learning
to make tamales and other traditional dishes in the spectacular teaching kitchen,
which is located outdoors under an arbor.
STRIPED BASS CEBICHE
WITH ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
Enrique Olvera, Restaurante Pujol,
Mexico City
At his restaurant, Mr. Olvera adds to the presentation dabs of two reduced sauces:
one of Worcestershire sauce boiled for 10 minutes, the other a sugar syrup made
of equal parts water and brown sugar, also boiled for 10 minutes. He then garnishes
the dish with avocado and fresh cilantro. Note: The fish is uncooked.
   Grated zest of 1 lime
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    Salt & pepper to taste
    ¾ pound very fresh striped bass fillet from a reliable fish store, diced
For the roasted tomato sauce:
    4 plum or roma tomatoes
    Olive oil for drizzling
    4 teaspoons lime juice
    Corn tortilla chips, preferably
freshly fried

  1. Combine the lime zest with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour
    over the fish, combine gently, and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  2. Preheat
    oven to 275 degrees. Remove seeds and core from the tomatoes and cut them
    into quarters. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in a shallow pan, drizzle
    with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the tomatoes carefully
    to coat them. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until they are dried and lightly
    browned. Purée
    the tomatoes in a blender or food processor, or push them through a fine-mesh
    strainer, pressing hard on the solids. Refrigerate if not using right away.
  3. When
    ready to serve, gently combine the striped bass and the lime juice. Serve
    the cebiche with the tomato sauce and the tortilla chips.

    Serves 4 as an appetizer.


INSTANT BUNELOS
Ruth Alegría, Mexico Soul and Essence
   
4 8-inch flour tortillas, each cut into 4 wedges
    Vegetable oil for frying
    ¼ cup sugar
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    Honey for drizzling, optional
    Ice cream to accompany, optional

  1. In a small bowl
    mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
  2. In a deep pan, heat about
    2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. Drop in a few tortilla wedges, being sure
    not to crowd the pan. Fry, turning once, until light gold and crisp — 1
    to 2 minutes at most. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar mixture
    while still warm. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
  3. To serve, drizzle with
    honey and serve alongside ice cream, if desired.

    Serves 4.
HIBISCUS AGUA FRESCA
Magda Bogin,
Cocinar Mexicano Cooking School
   
   3 quarts water
   ¾ pound light brown sugar or 1 cup Lyle’s
Golden syrup (available at gourmet markets and some supermarkets)
   8 ounces dried hibiscus blossoms (available at the
Whole Earth Center and Wild Oats)
   
Place 1 quart of water and the hibiscus in a metal pot (enamel will stain)
and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain into a large pitcher,
discarding the solids. Add the remaining water and sweeten to taste with
sugar or syrup. Stir. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
    Makes 3 quarts.